9:34 AM
Due to this morning's incident, the council inevitably had to gather all the students from every class in the school's main hall to discuss what measures would be taken.
At this moment, President Yukihara Mikoto stands before us, addressing possible steps to prevent another incident like this from happening.
"Regarding this, I also ask that you adopt safety habits, such as avoiding walking alone in the school. Please report any suspicious activity to me," she explains calmly.
She's doing quite well... I thought a single incident wouldn't be enough to destabilize the sovereignty of the student council, but this is only the beginning. Her actual downfall will come when she fails to fulfill the promises she's making now, just as has happened before.
Far from wanting to harm her, I'm doing all this for her benefit. After all, I know what's best for my two beloved ones more than anyone—even more than they do themselves.
During her speech, Keiko appears with a startled expression, walks over to Mikoto, and whispers something in her ear. Mikoto's eyes instantly widen.
You found him, didn't you?
I didn't make much effort to hide the body of that nuisance, but you found him faster than I expected. At the time, I didn't have this plan in mind as my first murder too shook me, but something in me seemed to know that this discovery would be useful sooner or later.
I see that Haruki is also deeply disturbed by this revelation. I think I can use this to confirm a few things. Depending on how much information he's willing to reveal, it will show whether Mikoto has publicly severed ties with me. I don't think she's discarded the possibility of using me so quickly.
"Hey, is something wrong?" I approach Haruki.
"Ah, Johann-san. As you can see, today isn't one of our best days," he replies, looking down with tired eyes.
"I can't even imagine how stressful it must be to bear such responsibility in this situation. But that's not what I meant…" I lower my voice. "What did she tell Mikoto? Why are you all so shaken?"
"So you noticed? Please don't spread this around—it could cause panic throughout the school. But as you and other students might have realized, Vice President Tanaka-senpai disappeared yesterday afternoon," he pauses to catch his breath. "And this morning, Kaichou instructed Keiko to search for him and found something we could never have imagined."
"Yes, I did find it strange that he didn't show up at the dorm yesterday. What happened to him? Don't tell me he's involved in this morning's incident?"
"No, quite the opposite—he was also a victim. Keiko's report just reached me, so I don't have many details, but according to the accounts, his body was found mutilated. I don't know if I'll have the courage to see the face of a former colleague in such a state."
"I understand. I don't even know what to think. Although we weren't close, it's tough to know that someone who worked alongside you is no longer in this life. The perpetrator of this heinous crime must pay for their actions."
"Yes. Kaichou, the rest of the council, and I won't rest until we capture them and bring them to justice."
Sorry to say, but that won't happen.
"I feel the same. If you or Mikoto need help, just let me know."
The council managed to regain control of the students, but no further failures will be tolerated.
I bid farewell to Haruki and wait for Mikoto to leave the stage she created.
Leaning against a wall in the hall, I watch the conclusion of her speech.
Given how she's managed to compose herself, I believe she'll avoid publicly revealing the state in which Takashi was found. Although he was just a victim, the way I killed him was far less subtle compared to the poison-induced deaths.
She ends the assembly, turns her back to the audience, and walks toward me. As she approaches, she meets my gaze but passes right by me.
I was naive to think she would change her mind so quickly. She still has the resources to continue on her own. Very well, if she insists on being so stubborn, I can take more drastic measures.
"Johann-kun! Don't disappear like that. After this incident, it's not safe to wander around alone," Miyu approaches me.
I keep staring at the empty corridor Mikoto just walked down.
"Johann-kun, are you listening to me?"
"Oh, yes. Sorry, I was distracted."
11:46 AM
It's almost noon, and lunch will be served in a few minutes. I should put the next phase of my plan into action.
Since I already have the poison and the kitchen key in hand, all I need to do is deploy it without drawing attention.
Keiko, Natsuki, and other members responsible for the food are currently finalizing the meal. However, despite the poisoning of the water dispenser, they aren't being vigilant enough to monitor all the food.
Hidden in a corner of the kitchen, I approach the stock of washed vegetables and pour a vial of poison, mixing it with the vinegar. Then, I move to the curry sauce and pour the rest of the vial.
Patiently, I wait for an opportunity to leave the kitchen unnoticed. Fortunately, their paranoia hasn't heightened to the point of maintaining constant surveillance.
After some time, I manage to leave the kitchen, and now all that's left is to wait for the much-anticipated show of trust proposed by Haruki. Well, based on my experience in other worlds, it would either be him voluntarily or Takashi, compelled by Mikoto. Since I've already dealt with the latter, only he remains to fulfill this role.
Lunch hour arrives, naturally delayed due to this morning's events, but the student council has managed to organize the cafeteria despite the circumstances, as they have over the past three days.
The only problem is the fear. We're all standing in front of the cafeteria, but no hungry student dares to serve themselves—they're behaving just as they did in other timelines.
This makes everything very predictable for me; I'm always one step ahead of everyone.
The tension blanketing the room is broken by a boy who moves toward the utensils and begins filling his plate. As planned, Haruki, with all his charm, decides to put himself at risk. But deep down, he assumes the food hasn't been tampered with.
That's a foolish assumption.
Haruki's reasoning is simple: to him, the killer would never attempt a large-scale attack, as it would risk targeting another player, which would result in mutual death.
The logic itself isn't wrong. Assuming there's a killer aware of the rules announced over the loudspeakers and seeking to win the game through chaos, one could conclude they'd be cautious and wouldn't attack blindly.
However, I already know Mikoto and Ailiss's cautious nature. Neither would touch the food without ensuring its safety. Moreover, the most crucial point in this story is that I already knew in advance that Haruki would take this exact action, as he has done in every other timeline.
He stands before us with a calm smile and moves his utensil filled with food to his mouth.
"This is pretty good by school standards. You'd better hurry, or there won't be any left!" he says after taking the first bite.
He continues eating to confirm there's no delayed effect from the poison. Very clever—this way, he'll limit the number of victims, but in doing so, he'll consume more and more poison himself.
After finishing his plate, Mikoto begins moving toward him. She's undoubtedly going to declare the food safe for everyone. However… she abruptly stops walking.
Haruki's face… She notices it, too.
He widens his eyes, his gaze lost. Then, his body begins a fit of coughing that grows increasingly severe.
"Hey, Haruki-kun, are you okay?" Keiko asks.
"Did he choke?" a student comments.
The coughing doesn't stop, and with some staggering, Haruki lets his plate fall to the floor.
The clatter of utensils and shattered porcelain pieces is enough for everyone to understand what's happening.
"K-Kaichou," he continues coughing systematically as he tries to speak. "Don't eat this," his body suddenly collapses to the floor. "Don't eat—" more coughing.
He continues coughing violently, as if having an allergic reaction to the food and falls on his back. The reaction is so intense that he can't even communicate.
Gradually, his coughing subsides, and his body finally stops moving.
A few seconds of silence follow Haruki's tragic end as everyone processes that he was indeed poisoned.
After the shock, Keiko and Natsuki, who had been trying to push through the crowd, immediately run to his aid. However, it's too late; without medical resources, there's no saving him.
We only have first aid kits, nothing effective against poisoning, especially at the high dose I used. Mikoto is probably already aware of this and knows there's no point in trying to save him.
"Haruki-senpai! Don't die, please!" Natsuki exclaims as Keiko desperately tries to revive him.
"Please, Haruki-kun. Don't leave us yet! Someone help us, for God's sake!" Keiko pleads.
I scan the surroundings and see that the fear on everyone's faces has grown exponentially. Witnessing a death live is undoubtedly far more shocking than just coming across corpses. Some even try to approach the two, hoping to help somehow, but deep down, they know there's nothing they can do.
Helplessness. This is definitely the best way to frighten them. They know they're in danger, and they have no means of defense. This collective anxiety will further weaken Mikoto's defenses in our little friendly competition.
"My God. What just happened?" Miyu comments, terrified.
"He was poisoned too! Don't eat the food!" a student shouts.
"Was there someone infiltrated in the kitchen?!" another yells.
"If it weren't for Haruki, we'd probably all be dead by now…" Manabu says.
"Wasn't the water dispenser enough? Doesn't this bastard know when to stop?!" Shou shouts.
Keiko and Natsuki continue crying uncontrollably over their old friend's body, futilely trying to save him.
Meanwhile, Mikoto externally maintains her composure as she watches the scene, but this must have affected her. Not because of the loss of a colleague but because she sees her reign crumbling if she persists in the same mistake. Sooner or later, she'll have to yield to me.